Merner triples at Mohawk

Harness racing trainer Garry Merner won with three of his four entries at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday.

Phil Hudon guided Whole Lotta Luck (Luck Be Withyou) to a two-length victory in the second to kick off Merner’s triple. The filly, who made her first start for the trainer last week, closed hard down the lane to score in 1:56.2. It was her second career win in 10 starts for owner Douglas Dunbar, and it raised her bankroll to $17,070.

WHOLE LOTTA LUCK REPLAY

Littlebearcat (Tigerama) bounced back from an eighth-place finish last week to win by two-and-a-half lengths for Merner in the fifth. Ryan Desroche steered the mare to the 1:55.2 victory. The seven-year-old, owned by 2156604 Alberta Inc., is now 24-for-107 lifetime and has earned $163,546.

LITTLEBEARCAT REPLAY

Rjs Superfreak (Luck Be Withyou) completed Merner’s triple in the seventh in a three-and-a-quarter-length romp. The gelding paced the mile in 1:56.4 in his debut for Merner and his first outing of the season. Dunbar owns the four-year-old, a five-time winner with $26,850 in his coffers through 25 lifetime starts.

RJS SUPERFREAK REPLAY

Merner has won seven races in 37 starts on the season. He is coming off a career year in which he more than doubled his lifetime win and earnings total. The conditioner now has 58 tallies since his first pari-mutuel season in 1997.

In the first race on Thursday’s card, Dancing Dover (Sylvain Filion) recovered from a break at the start and circled the field first-up to cross the line first, but he was disqualified for an extended break. The gelding beat Ultra Lady S (Love You, Dagfin Henriksen) by a head in what would’ve been a maiden-breaking victory, but he was placed eighth. Ultra Lady S paid $59.90 in the inherited win that was timed in 2:00.3.

ULTRA LADY S REPLAY

Racing continues at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, Feb. 16 at 7:10 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink